Ophthalmoscope

Abstract

An ophthalmoscope 800 includes a lens 802 and an eyepiece 801 by which an optometrist, ophthalmologist or general medical practitioner can examine the interior of a patient's eye. The ophthalmoscope includes a handle 803 within which there is situated a printer to provide an instantaneous permanent record of an image as viewed. Upon activation of a trigger 817 , a permanent graphic image is printed onto a sheet 816 that passes out of the handle 803 via slot 804.

1. A hand-held ophthalmoscope for printing a graphic image of the interior of a patient's eye as received by the ophthalmoscope, comprising:
 (1) a built-in integral printer comprising:
 a print engine assembly; 
 a print head; 
 a print engine controller for controlling the print head; 
 a mount to receive a removable print roll cartridge containing print media; 
 at least one drive motor adapted to associate with the removable print roll cartridge and feed the print media past the print head; 
 
 (2) an image sensor able to receive an image of a patient's eye through a at least one lens of the ophthalmoscope and transmit image data to the built-in integral printer; 
 (3) a built-in integral power source; 
 (4) activation means to initiate printing: and 
 (5) a cutter assembly adapted to sever a section the print media after printing thereon. 
 
   
   
     2. The ophthalmoscope of  claim 1  wherein the printer is built into a handle of the ophthalmoscope. 
   
   
     3. The ophthalmoscope of  claim 1  wherein associated with the image sensor and the print engine controller is a micro-control circuit adapted to control a motor driver for feeding of the print media and a motor driver for operation of a guillotine motor for severing a printed image from a roller of print media. 
   
   
     4. The ophthalmoscope of  claim 1  wherein associated with the print engine controller is an image memory. 
   
   
     5. The ophthalmoscope of  claim 1  wherein the print head is a monolithic pagewidth print head. 
   
   
     6. The ophthalmoscope of  claim 1  wherein the print head is an ink jet print head. 
   
   
     7. The ophthalmoscope of any one of the preceding claims including a light source for illuminating the interior of a patient's eye. 
   
   
     8. The ophthalmoscope of  claim 1  wherein the print engine assembly comprises first and second sub-assemblies, the first sub-assembly incorporating an ink source and the print media and the second sub-assembly incorporating the print head.